Magnetoencephalographic analysis of cortical activity in Alzheimer's disease: a pilot study.

Objectives: In the present study, MEG was used to analyze spectral power and reference-free coherence in patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: Sixty-one channel MEG was recorded in 5 AD patients and 5 age-matched controls at rest with eyes open and eyes closed, as well as during the performance of two different mental tasks. Artefact-free epochs were selected for the analysis of power and coherence values in each of 5 4-Hz wide frequency bands ranging from 2 to 22 Hz.

Results: In AD patients, the absolute low frequency magnetic power was significantly and rather diffusely increased relative to controls with a fronto-central maximum. High frequency power values were significantly decreased over the occipital and temporal areas. Reactivity to eye-opening and mental tasks was reduced in the patient group. Relative to controls, a general decrease of MEG coherence values, including all frequencies analyzed, was found in AD patients.

Conclusions: These observations confirm the pattern of changes in spectral power and reactivity known from EEG studies and suggest that coherence decreases in AD patients are widespread and include frequencies outside the alpha band.